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Ghana-US
Africa's future is up to Africans, says Obama
Article published on the 2009-07-11 Latest update 2009-07-12 10:25 TU
A man waits to catch a glimpse of US President Barack Obama in Accra
(Credit: Reuters)
US President Barack Obama addressed leaders and Ghanian parliament in Accra on Saturday, calling on African leaders to fight corruption and work within the rule of law. He called on African leaders not to make changes to their country's constitutions only in order to be able to extend their mandates-- in what could be interpreted as a critique on Niger and Cameroon.
"Africa's future is up to Africans," said Obama. "No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves," he said.
Obama touched on conflict, speaking out to those who try to foment conflict based on tribal or religious ground.
"Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not division," said Obama, adding that the human rights of every woman in the Congo, where rape is used a s a weapon of war, should be protected.
Obama said his administation was going to cary on the work former president Bush had started, by dedicating 63 billion dollars to improving health, including HIV-Aids, malaria, TB and polio prevention programs.
Thousands lined the streets in the capital to see him, while more than 5,000 Africans text-messaged him comments and questions.
This is Obama's first trip to sub-Saharan Africa since becoming president in January.
Some were surprised that Obama, the son of a Kenyan man, would choose Ghana over his paternal home. Before the trip he stressed that Ghana was the example of a "functioning democracy", therefore an ideal place to make his speech.
Ghana's elections late last year were its fifth since returning to multi-party democracy in 1992.
Obama had breakfast with his Ghanian counterpart John Atta-Mills, and then visited a malaria hospital receiving US assistance before his speech.
While thousands turned out in the capital to catch a glimpse of the US leader, more than 5,000 Africans have text-messaged their questions in the hopes that President Obama will answer them.
The US government invited people to send questions via social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Three journalists from Senegal, Kenya and South Africa will sift through the questions and pick the ones Obama will answer in a video to be broadcast on Monday.
"South Africa was particularly enthusiastic. We have seen a real spike in activity in South Africa," said Macon Phillips, the White House's director of new media.
